Xbox One

The new console is the boxiest Xbox yet, but its functionality presents a profound synthesis of Microsoft’s learning from the eight-year evolution of the Xbox 360. The Xbox One aims to be the sole portal for all that comes through your TV. Using an HDMI pass-through, the One can install its own voice-controlled, searchable channel guide on any set-top box; it can also integrate your viewing experience with the world of content that the machine offers (think games, social networking, Skype).

Even more impressive is the enhanced Kinect sensor, with an HD optical camera and infrared cameras that can track skeletal joints in six people at once. It can even sense your heartbeat. This drab-looking black box is very interesting indeed. – GLENN DERENE